This issue was raised at the national scientific conference themed "Modernizing and upgrading Vietnamese higher education , creating breakthroughs in the development of high-skilled human resources and talents, leading research and innovation," jointly organized by the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.
4 shortcomings in the professor selection and appointment process.
According to the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, the current process for recognizing and appointing professors and associate professors is overlapping and has not kept pace with international trends.
Firstly, regarding the recognition and appointment process, the current method across various council levels (institutional, sectoral, interdisciplinary, and state-level) involves many unnecessary procedures. The functions of the institutional Professor Council and the sectoral/interdisciplinary Professor Council are almost overlapping. The fact that two councils evaluate the same content both prolongs the review process and increases administrative procedures for candidates.
Secondly, regarding the term of appointment, according to Decision 37/2018/QD-TTg, professors and associate professors are appointed for 5 years. At the end of the term, the higher education institution will consider reappointment. Paradoxically, even if not reappointed, those who meet the criteria retain their title and may be appointed elsewhere. This mechanism separates the appointment from the actual responsibilities and contributions of the lecturer at their workplace.
"Some individuals, after being awarded academic titles, no longer actively pursue research, while those who are not appointed face difficulties in their careers, forcing them to seek recognition elsewhere. This creates instability and lacks transparency in the management and utilization of professors and associate professors," the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City stated.
Thirdly, regarding academic rank standards, Decision 37/2018/QD-TTg still has many inconsistencies and is not in line with international practices. Specifically, the requirement of a minimum of 10 consecutive years of teaching experience for both positions is too rigid, does not take into account the specifics of each field, and does not encourage young scientists , especially those trained abroad.
On the other hand, the criteria regarding the number of publications (a minimum of 3 for associate professors and 5 for professors) are more quantitative than qualitative, and do not accurately reflect the academic value and impact of the research.
Furthermore, the lack of clear classification of scientific publications leads to a "averageization" where reviews, case reports, and commentaries are treated equally, reducing fairness for scientists with original research. In particular, current regulations do not recognize prestigious international book chapters as scientific publications, disadvantaging the social sciences and humanities.
Furthermore, the standards among disciplinary councils lack consistency, creating loopholes for subjectivity and reducing transparency and trust within the academic community. In addition, the overemphasis on the number of international publications is contributing to the commercialization of academia, increasing the prevalence of "predatory journals," and negatively impacting the reputation and quality of domestic research.
Fourth, although there is a program to support young scientists (VNU350) to help complete applications for associate professor positions, higher education institutions, including key universities, are still not granted the authority to independently recognize academic titles. Cumbersome administrative procedures discourage many young scientists, reducing their motivation for research and preventing the full potential of lecturers and researchers from being realized.
“There needs to be a mechanism for genuinely delegating authority to key higher education institutions in the review and recognition of academic titles, linking responsibility with autonomy. This is an important step to promote research motivation, improve the quality of the teaching staff, and contribute to achieving the goals of science, technology, and innovation development in the spirit of Resolution 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo ,” stated the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.
The proposal suggests allowing key universities to independently review and appoint professors.
The Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City has proposed a pilot mechanism allowing some key universities to independently assess and recognize the titles of Professor and Associate Professor.
According to this organization, in many countries, the awarding of academic titles is decided independently by universities based on their reputation and research capabilities, reflecting a spirit of autonomy and academic competition. Meanwhile, Vietnam still conducts the awarding process at the state level, making it inflexible and overly bureaucratic.
Therefore, a pilot program is needed allowing prestigious universities with strong scientific potential to independently assess, recognize, and appoint professors and associate professors according to common standards issued by the Prime Minister (or the Minister of Education and Training, as stipulated in the draft revised Law on Higher Education). The recognition results from authorized institutions would have nationwide legal validity, equivalent to the provisions of Decision 37/2018/QĐ-TTg. This approach aligns with the spirit of Resolution 71-NQ/TW, promoting improved academic governance, research and training quality, and ultimately granting full autonomy to universities.
The pilot program will last three years at prestigious, multidisciplinary universities with a concentration of leading scientists. This period is sufficient for implementation, evaluation, and summarization before expansion.
For talented scientists, especially those returning from abroad, the recognition mechanism needs to be flexible, allowing for the conversion of equivalent teaching criteria or work experience based on scientific works, monographs, international publications, or inventions and utility solutions.
The Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City also proposed that universities granted academic autonomy should establish academic integrity councils to ensure scientific credibility and transparency in the recognition of academic titles. If successfully implemented, this model would lay the groundwork for granting complete academic autonomy to universities, aligning with international trends and contributing to the role of intellectuals in the sustainable development of the country.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/quy-trinh-phong-giao-su-con-ruom-ra-kien-nghi-de-dai-hoc-tu-xet-va-bo-nhiem-2455879.html
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